."

It was Granfa, standing at the gate, his blue eyes staring with amazement.
He raised his broom to his shoulder and stood at attention as we drew near.

"What a sight for the nation!" he exclaimed. "Welcome home my dear
son-in-law. I be terrible proud to hand my charges over to 'ee. Us have got
along famous while you was over to South Ameriky."

I trembled for fear father should say something to hurt Granfa's feelings,
but he seemed to understand him at once, and shook him by the hand, and
made him a present of some tobacco on the spot.

II

"Merciful Heaven!" screamed Mrs. Handsomebody. "Davy!" "Mr. Curzon!" She
clutched her curl-papers in one hand and the front of her purple wrapper in
the other. "We did not expect you for an hour yet."

Father laughed. "Well, I've saved you some of the trouble of preparing by
coming early. How very well you are looking. And how well-cared-for the
children. I'm delighted. I think I shall take them over to the hotel where
my luggage has been sent and have a talk with them and come back later.
Will that suit you?"

But Mrs. Handsomebody insisted that he have a proper breakfast, and
installed us in the parlour while she retired to assume the decent armour
of the day.

Father sat facing the stuffed birds. He put The Seraph on his knee, and
Angel and I hung on either side of him. We were suddenly shy of him, and it
seemed enough to be near him, and to feel the all-surrounding power and
protection of him. His cheeks were incredibly sun-browned, with a ruddy
glow beneath; his moustache and the hair at his temples were almost golden.
I liked the greenish grey of his tweed suit that seemed to match his clear,
wide-open eyes.

He made a wry face at the stuffed birds and then he whispered: "Old chaps,
have you been happy here?"

We nodded. The past was gone. What did it matter! "Oh, but, we want to be
wiv you! Don't leave us," breathed The Seraph, burrowing his face into the
rough tweed shoulder.

Angel and I burrowed against him too. "Don't leave us again," we whispered.

He began to kiss us, and to rumple our heads, and to bite The Seraph's
cheek. The Seraph, drunk with joy, jumped down, and pulling open the door
of the glass case tried to drag a lovebird from its perch to present to
father. We were just able to stop him when our governess returned.

She was dignified and smiling, in black satin and a gold chain. Mary Ellen
had the breakfast laid in the dining-room and we s